Lord Laird askedHer Majesty's Government:
How the Belfast Education and Library Board calculates the amount of money that it allocates to primary schools. [HL1111]
§ The Lord President of the Council (Baroness Amos)The Belfast Education and Library Board (BELB) calculates primary school budgets in accordance with its local management of schools (LMS) scheme, which is the subject of consultation with all schools and subject to approval by the Department of Education. The majority of funding which primary schools receive is determined under the board's LMS funding formula, which takes account of individual school characteristics, including the number of pupils, the size of school premises, support for small schools, social deprivation, special educational needs and support for particular groups of pupils.
§ Lord Lairdasked Her Majesty's Government:
Which primary school attracts the most money from the Belfast Education and Library Board per number of pupils in the primary school sector; and which school attracts the least. [HL1112]
§ Baroness AmosThe chief executive of the Belfast Education and Library Board (BELB) has advised that, in the formula funding budget allocation for the 2003–04 financial year, St Mary's Primary School, Divis Street, Belfast, with 70 pupils, attracted the most money at £3,838 per pupil and Stranmillis Primary School, with 435 pupils, attracted the least at £1,566 per pupil. It should be noted that all of the pupils attending St Mary's Primary School are from the Traveller community and as such attracted additional funding under the board's LMS scheme. In the 2003–04 financial year, this amounted to £941.58 per qualifying pupil.